Electron device



Sept. 5, 1933. I M. MORRIS-ON ELECTRON DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1950 WW mm M. MORRISON ELECTRON DEVICE Sept. 5, 1933.

Filed Jan. 18, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. MORRISON ELECTRON DEVICE Sept. 5, 1933.

. Filed Jan. 18, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v f hm Sept. 5, 1933. MORRISON 1,925,104

ELECTRON DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

My invention relates to a class of structures employing unilateral conductivity and may be embodied in any of the general class of electron devices which includes thermionic rectifiers, radio tubes, mercury arc rectifiers, electrolytic rectifiers of both liquid and dry types, gaseous conduction rectifiers and other similar electron devices.

Among the objects of' this invention are; to provide means whereby electron currents, in vaccua, gases, liquids, and in solids, may be combined vectorially to produce new and useful results, to provide means for causing constant currents in the above said media to flow directly by the application of alternating potentials thereto; to provide means for causing electron currents to co-operate selectively with commutator segments without the aid of directing electrical conductors; and to provide electrical circuits for the utilization of these improvements.

In the prior art certain examples of the above devices operate with direct current supplied to their anodes and others are used for producing direct current. In the case of a device requiring direct current to be applied to its anode, it has been necessary to provide a separate and additional means for supplying this direct current. In the case of where a specific device has been used for the purpose of changing alternating current into direct, it has been necessary to provide filter circuits to eliminate more or less of the residual alternating current pulsation left in the rectified current wave, the amount of filtering depending upon the use to which the current is to be put. For instance, whether the device is used in the form of a mercury vapor rectifier for power purposes or a continuous voltage supply device for radio application.

In my invention, whether embodied in a simple thermionic rectifier or in a grid radio tube, I am able to produce constant current through the tube without the aid of filters and without the aid of a separate, additional source of direct current. I am able to apply alternating current directly to the electrodes of the tube and draw constant currents through the tube as load currents, thus producing continuous potentials from mercury vapor rectifiers for power circuits, conr tinuous potentials for X-tube excitation and the like and constant discharge current for radio tube circuits. I

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a view of one embodiment of my invention, partly in elevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 also partly in section; Fig. 3 is a plan detail of Fig. 1; Fig. 4. is a diagram showing a circuit embodying my invention in a simple electron discharge tube having only cathode and anodes; Fig. 5 is an abbreviated diagram similar to Fig. 4 but employing the addition of a grid to the tube of the preceeding figure; Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive are further detail of structure used in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1, 1 is a glass envelope having a stem 2 and a press 3, through which is brought leads, 4, 5, 6, '7, 8, 9. Around stem 2 is located clamp 10, which is shown in plan view in Fig. 3. Clamp 10 has four insulating bushings 11, 12, 13 and 14, into which are fixed four vertical rods 15, 1t, 17 and 18, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and to which are welded leads, 9, 6, and 5 respectively.

The anode construction of this embodiment of my invention can be better understood by reference to Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive. Referring to Fig. 6, I start by punching out a plate of flat material 19. Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section showing the slots 20 and the slats 21 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 7 the slats 21 are then extruded, making a surface somewhat similar in appearance to the common rainproof ventilators for windows and to the ventilating openings in the side of an automobile hood. The cross-section shown in Fig. 8 then looks like a section shown in Fig. 9 after the slats 21 have been extruded as shown in Fig. 7.

The ears 22 and the corresponding members of the opposite end of Fig. 6 are turned up as shown in Fig. 7, after which the plain surface of 19 is formed into a cylindrical segment as illustrated in Fig. 10. Two such pieces are made and located with respect to each other by a ring of insulating material fixed to each end, as illustrated in Fig. 13, in which 23 is one ring of insulating material as viewed from a plain drawing, the other ring being directly behind it on the other end of the anode, and not apparent in the drawings, the ears 22 being fastened to the ring as illustrated.

Two more anode pieces are made by starting with pieces smaller but similar to those shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and in forming the cylindrical surface in the opposite direction as illustrated in Fig. 11. Two pieces constructed in this manner are mounted on two discs of insulating material in a manner similar to that above described, and as illustrated in Fig. 13, one disc 24 being visible from this view.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the plate assembly of Fig. 13 showing how the slats of Figs. 10 and 11 are interspaced without one touching the other. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the location of the elements illustrated in Fig. 13 are shown held together by two H shaped pieces of insulating material and 26.

The ring 23 and the disc 24 are thus held together at the top by 25; the counter part ring and disc is held together at the bottom by a second H shaped piece 26 and all held in place in the tube by the four rods 15, 16, 17 and 18 and clamp 10.

The construction described comprises four anode plates 27, 28, 29 and 30, Figs. 1, 2 and 13, The near sides of the plates are removed in Fig. 1 for clearness.

Plate 2'1 is connected to rod 16 by means of lead 31, plate 28 is connected to rod 18 by means of lead 32, plate 29 is connected to rod 17 by means of lead 33, and plate 30 is connected to rod 15 by means of lead 34. Thus lead 8 is connected to plate 30, lead 9 is connected to plate 27, lead 6 is connected to plate 29, and lead 5 is connected to plate 30.

Referring to Figs..l and 2, a filament is provided and fixed to horizontal rods 36 and 37. Rod 36 is supported by a short rod 38 and a short rod 39 not visible in Fig. 1 and which is located behind rod 40, Fig. 2 shows it in plan location. Lead 7 is fixed to rod 38, furnishing current connection for the lower end of the filament 35. The rod 37 is fixed to a short rod 41 and a long rod 40, which in turn is connected to lead 4 for supplying current connection for the upper end of the filament.

The device described has a thoriated tungsten filament with all other metals contained in the tube being commercially pure nickel. The insulators employed are made of a material known to the trade as lavite, and the glass used is that known by the trade name of pyrex. The filament was boiled in a solution of potassium hydroxide, the nickel parts were degasified in a vacuum furnace, the lavite rings and discs were baked in a vacuum furnace, and the H shaped pieces were incidentally baked in a hydrogen furnace. All the parts were cleaned with C. P. carbon tetrachloride, and the whole device was baked out and exhausted on a pumping system provided with a liquid air trap, a. mercury vapor diffusion pump, and an oil backer pump, the work receiving such other care and technical details as understood by those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.

I have also constructed in accordance with this invention various other forms of structure employing my invention, particularly examples embodying a set of four simple anodes each at right angles to its adjacent member of said set forming a box-shaped grouping of the anodes, but the above described form seems to have better operating characteristics, though I am not able to state at the present time whether this is an inherent specific embodiment characteristic.

Referring to Fig. 4, is a source of alternating current which supplies a transformer 51 with alternating current energy through means of circuit 52, 53, 54 and switch 55. A secondary circuit of transformer 51 is supplied with a shunt condenser 56 and is connected by means of leads 57 and 58 to a second transformer 59, which is in turn shunted by a second condenser 69. The inductive reactance of transformers 51 and 59 and the condensive reactance of the condensers 56 and 69 constitutes a filter circuit for eliminating undesirable harmonics of the generator 50. The secondary of the transformer 58 is shunted by a condenser 60 in series with a resistance 61 for supplying energy to a transformer 62, and further shunted by a resistance 63 and a reactor 64 for supplying de-phased energy to transformer 65. The effect of the condenser and resistance is to produce a leading voltage for transformer 62, and the effect of resistance 63 and reactor 64 is to produce a lagging voltage for transformer 65, this being all well known in the art.

The transformer design, the values of voltage, resistance, condensive reactance and inductive reactance is such as to produce a voltage in transformer 65 ninety degrees out of phase with that in 62, forming a common so-called quarter phase or two phase supply circuit for my device.

Much simpler circuits may be used for obtaining quarter phase currents, but the one illustrated serves to show one embodiment of my invention.

Numerals indicating parts which have already been described in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 to 13 inclusive, represent the described part in Fig. 4 and any part heretofore described can be therefore identified by the numeral uesd in this figure.

Transformer 62 has one secondary terminal connected through lead 9 to plate 27, Fig. 4, and has its other secondary terminal connected to plate 28 through lead 5.

Transformer 65 has one terminal of its secondary connected to plate 30 through lead 8, and its other terminal connected to plate 29 through lead 6. 15, 16, i7 and 18 are the rods already described in the previous figures, and included here for assistance in identifying the circuits.

The center point 66 of the secondary of transformer 62 is connected to the center point 68 of the secondary of transformer 65 through lead 67. Transformer 59 also supplies power to a filament transformer '70 through leads 71 and 72. The secondary of transformer supplies current to filament 35 through leads 7 and 4 and the center 73 of the secondary of transformer 70 is connected to a translating device 74 which in turn is connected to lead 67, thus providing a load circuit for my device.

In the present embodiment plates 27 and 28 are generally cylindrical in form and their cylin drical contour is located radially with respect to the filament 35 and said plates are opposed in position with respect to each other and similar in construction, and each covers slightly less than 180 mechanical degrees, which in the present embodiment represents also 180 electrical degrees, which will be perfectly obvious and fully understood on further reading this specification.

Plates 29 and 30 have also a general cylindrical contour and are similar in construction to plates 27 and 28 and have their cylindrical contour located concentrically with respect to plates 27 and 28, are approximately 180 mechanical and electrical degrees in annular length, but are rotated degrees in angular space relation with reference to the axis of the plates 27 and 28.

There are several different ways of viewing the operation of these plates under excitation with the filament 35 emitting electrons, and I do not restrict my disclosure of operation to the particular explanation herein offered, but believe the following to be a simple way of understanding the operation of this particular disclosure.

Plates 27 and 28 under excitation by potential from transformer 62 produce an electric field between them, which has a predetermined direction and intensity at the filament 35-. This field pulsates sinusoidally with sinusoidal potential from transformer 62.

Plates 29 and are geometrically similar to plates 27 and 28 on their active surfaces, in so far as the filament is concerned, and also have an electric field connecting them, under excitation from transformer 65 and which also has a field intensity, which varies sinusoidally with sinusoidal potential excitation from transformer 65.

Plates 29 and 30 being rotated 90 degrees, axially, with respect to filament 35, will produce an electric field in space relation to the field produced by plates 27 and 28, at an angle of 90 degrees, thus the direction of the electric field due to plates 29 and 30, in the neighborhood of the filament 35, corresponds in space relation to the de-phasing of the potential in transformer 65.

Thus the electric fields produced in the neighborhood of filament have different directions and therefore combine vectorially under opera tion.

It is a well known fact that the vector sum of two sinusoids occupying the same space but having directions 90 degrees apart and time phase relations corresponding thereto, is a constant value with respect to a common origin for the two vectors. The trigonometric expression in one of'its simplest forms for this relation is (sin zr +cos w) /2 1.

Therefore the electric field in the neighborhood of filament 35 and radial to the axis thereof is substantially constant under alternating current excitation of the plates.

Under working conditions of such a device, the total number of electrons drawn to the plates, depends on the effective value of the electric field, and if this value is in effect constant, the current flow through translating device 74., Fig. 4 is constant.

While I have described a two phase rotating field of constant amplitude, my invention is not limited to any particular number of fields, to any exact phase relation, or any particular grouping of electrodes. The nature of my invention relates to the control of electron streams by the vector combination of de-phased control fields, and I do not restrict myself solely to the use of electric fields, but make use also of magnetic fields which will be more fully disclosed in other applications.

I am aware that rotating fields have been used in a prior art in the construction of electric motors, induction regulators, and the like, but am unable to find any prior art covering the nature of the present invention.

In the disclosure so far detailed I have described an embodiment of my invention in the simplest form, but it is quite obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, that various additions and modifications are desirable in practice.

In Fig. 5, I illustrate diagrammatically a thermionic discharge device exactly similar to the one described in Fig. 4, and bearing corresponding numerals for the identification of the parts, with the addition of a grid 80, which may be composed of a suitable solenoid surrounding the filament as would be common to a corresponding prior art device and well understood in the art. While only one grid is illustrated it is quite obvious that as many may be employed as desirable and for whatever purposes suited, whether for control of the main electron stream or for the reduction of space charge effect. I

All of the active anode surface in the present embodiment is equidistant from the cathode, therefore, in so far as the geometry of the plate cathode space relations: is concerned, the device has a constant space charge effect independent of the direction of the electron stream.

The operation of the device indicated on the diagram in Fig. 5 is essentially the same as that described for Fig. 4, and the introduction or a grid in this device bears the same relation to the operation of the device as in any common electron discharge tube having a similar grid designed for a similar purpose. It is believed this is too well understood in the art to warrant an extensive description of the gridaction because of the large number of uses to which grids may be put, any and all of which are applicable to my invention.

In Fig. 5 I have indicated a grid circuit and a plate circuit which illustrates one use of my device as an electron discharge tube having a grid as one element.

I have described one embodiment of my invention, but the nature thereof resides more broadly in the claims hereunder.

I claim:

1. An electrical device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising a cathode, a plurality of electrodes surrounding said cathode and presenting an electrically continuous surface thereto, the number of said electrodes affected by said cathode being even, whereby a continuous current discharge takes place between said electrodes and said cathode.

2. An electrical device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising an evacuated vessel containing a cathode and an even number of electrodes completely surrounding it, and presenting thereto an electrically continuous surface whereby said electrodes pre vent in eifect the loss of electrons from said cathode by escape between said electrodes and said electrodes affect the alternating currents so as to produce two independent electric fields which combine vectorially in the neghborhood of said cathode and produce a third electric field thereabout, differing in intensity and in direction from the aforesaid fields, and which third field directs discharge current from the cathode toward predetermined electrodes.

3. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, a plurality of electrodes presenting an electrically continuous surface to said cathode,

. and connections between said electrodes whereby said currents effectively continuously cooperate with said electrodes to produce an electric field, continuously existent, substantially constant in amplitude and revolving in direction.

4. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a line carrying a plurality of dephased alternating currents comprising an evacuated envelope, a cathode in said envelope, a plurality of electrodes in said envelope, said electrodes presenting an electrically continuous surface to said cathode and in space relation one with the other A predetermined by the time relation of said de phased currents.

5. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a line carrying a plurality of depliased alternating currents comprising an evacuated container, a cathode and a plurality of electrodes in said container said electrodes presenting an electrically continuous surface to said cathode and in space relation one with the other predeter! mined by the time relation of said currents whereby the electric fleld in the neighborhood of the active part of said cathode depends upon a combined value of said currents, said value being greater than the instantaneous values of the applied potentials considered individually.

6. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a line carrying a plurality of dephased alternating currents comprising a cathode, a plurality of electrodes, means mounting said electrodes radially about said cathode, a second plurality of electrodes, means mounting the second plurality of electrodes radially about said cathode and grouping them at an angle to aforesaid electrodes corresponding to the time phase relation of the potential to be applied thereto, whereby the electron current fiowing from said cathode to said electrodes is along a path having an impedance constant in value. v

7. An evacuated envelope containing a cathode, two pairs of anodes, each pair consisting of alternate openings and bars, one pair mounted with its bars facing aforesaid cathode through the openings in the other pair and presenting a surface with which the cathode cooperates.

8. An evacuated envelope containing a cathode, two pairs of segmental electrodes, each electrode consisting of alternate openings and bars, one pair mounted opposite one another and forming a circular are around said cathode, and the other pair mounted opposite one another around said one pair angularly displaced with respect thereto, and projecting with their bars through the openings in the inner pair with the bars of the two pairs of electrodes presenting an effectively continuous surface to the cathode.

9. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising an evacuated envelope containing a catl de, two pairs of electrodes, each electrode consisting of alternate openings and bars, one pair mounted opposite one another around said cathode, and the other pair mounted opposite one another around said one pair angularly displaced with respect thereto, and projecting with their 1 bars through the openings in the inner pair so with the bars of the two pairs of electrodes presenting an effectively continuous surface to the cathode.

10. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, a plurality of pairs of segmentalcircular electrodes correspondingin number to the number of phases of currents to be used, each electrode having alternate openings and slanting slats formed therein, one pair mounted opposite one another and forming circular area around said cathode, and the other pair mounted opposite one another around said one pair displaced by ninety degrees with respect thereto and projecting with their slats through the openings in the inner pair with the slats of the two pairs of anodes presenting an overlapping continuous surface to the cathode.

11. An envelope containing a first electrode, pairs of second electrodes, each pair symmetrically grouped around an axis running through the first electrode, the active surfaces of the electrodes of each pair facing one another and the active surfaces of all the electrodes presenting an electrically continuous surface.

12. An eleectron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising an envelope containing a pair of electrodes having openings, a cathode cooperating with said electrodes, and a pair of second electrodes to be fed by said line mounted adjacent aforesaid electrodes and cooperating with said cathode through the openings of the first mentioned pair of electrodes.

13. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current line comprising a pair of electrodes having openings, a cooperating cathode, and a pair of second electrodes to be fed by said line mounted adjacent aforesaid electrodes and exposed to said cathode through said openings, both said pairs of electrodes having their effective working area substantially equidistant from said cathode.

MONTF'ORD MORRISON. 

